Tag: tracking

Lead measures and lag measures – you reap what you sow

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

There are lead measures and lag measures.

Lead measures are actions you should track to help you get to your goal (such as how many prospecting phone calls you made, deals you analyzed, days or minutes per week you exercised, or calories you consumed). Lead measures typically don’t get you too excited, but they are necessary for you to hit your goals. These are the seeds that you plant.

Lag measures are results-based. Examples of lag measures might be how many deals you closed, how much weight you gained/lost, hitting a PR in a specific exercise, etc. Lag measures are the end results. Their success depends on what you’re doing for your lead measures, therefore they are lagging behind. This is the harvest you reap.

Obviously, you don’t always want to only plant seeds and never receive the harvest. You need both to stay motivated and keep getting the results you desire. But don’t expect the harvest to always be there if you stop planting seeds daily/regularly.

Four keys to success (inspired by a recent BiggerPockets podcast episode)

1. Decisiveness – clearly define what it is you want. Then ask yourself, will whatever action you’re about to take bring you closer to that goal? If yes, do it. If no, don’t do it. Not sure? Give yourself a set period to decide then take action.

2. Build momentum. Does an airplane start the engine then it’s up in the air flying? No. It has to build up speed to take flight. Once in the air, it’s easy to maintain. Determine what is the most important next action step, then do it (preferably, it should be easy to implement so you can “check it off the list” and build momentum). When you do that, figure out the most important next step and do that. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

3. Measure what matters. Keep track of the most important numbers. What are the lead measures and lag measures you need to hit to achieve your goals? Budget your time, actions, money, etc.

4. Become an expert. What did I do yesterday? How could I have done it better? What did I do that I should stop doing? What do I need to learn to be considered an “expert” in my field.